India, Sept. 30 -- The Comptroller and Auditor General has flagged Keonjhar District Mineral Foundation's Rs 6.06 crore grant for five students to study in Australia, saying the expenditure was not permitted under the governing rules.

The students had been selected for a Master of Professional Engineering in Mining course at Curtin University. The grant, sanctioned on August 12, 2023, covered course fees, health insurance and living costs, according to the CAG's performance audit.

The report said the grant was approved without the consent of the DMF Board of Trustees or its Executive Committee. The amount was released to the Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, two days after sanction.

Utilisation certificates showed that Rs 2....